Regulators for nozzles



May 16, 1951 J. DICKMANN ET AL 2,984,418

REGULATORS FOR NozzLEs Filed Oct. l, 1959 United States Patent Oce 2,984,418 Patented May 16, 1961 REGULAToRs Fon Nozz-Lns Johannes Diekmann, deceased, late of Karlsruhe, Germany, by Friedrich Walter Johannes Diekmann, Thomas Hans Wilhelm Diekmann, and Lenore Olga Sophie Diekmann, hers,.all ofRosenstrasse 1, Neureut, Germany (Gerda Emilie Diekmann, guardian of :Lenore lga Sophie Diekmann), and `Gustav-Adolf Euteneuer, Wiesbadener-Strasse 1, Karlsruhe, Germany Firedoct. 41, 1959, ser. No. 859,827 Claimspriority, application-Germany Feb. 25, 1956 9 Claims. `(C1. 239-102) This invention `relatesfto regulator devices `for nozzles, which devices `are ofthe type whereby water issuing through a nozzle can be projected asa Solid jet and as a very finely atomized spray.

With water delivered through hoses and pipes, and particularly in lire fighting operations, it is essential to be able to discharge the water at a relatively short range, but in such la Way that the water will cover a relatively large area such as results from atomizing the water. It is also necessary to provide for a powerful long-range water jet.

Jet regulation has hitherto been effected mainly by throttling with valves and gates which result in considerable loss of efficiency, or by using interchangeable mouthpieces and nozzles each of which is used for a particular purpose. Jet regulation has also been effected by dividing jets into separate portions; however, this does not provide the advantages of atomization.

According to the invention, there is provided a jet regulator device for a nozzle comprising adjustable elements which are moved freely by the water and oscillate in such a manner that they atomize the Water much more eiciently than has been obtained heretofore.

The adjustable elements are preferably spring steel blades of critical thickness and are preferably mounted on carriers which are guided in grooves in the nozzle, the blades being lowered into the water jet or moved out of the said jet in amounts corresponding to the required degree of atomization by operating an associated hand lever. When the hand lever is not actuated, it is urged by a spring into a position in which the blades project to their fullest extent into the nozzle outlet or jet of water so that the highest degree of atomization is maintained until regulation is effected by the hand lever.

Two movable hand levers are preferably arranged in appropriate holding and working positions relative to one another and are moved towards a fixed handle by means of a lever system. The issuing water jet is adjusted by displacement of the nozzle needle and the spraying eeet can be continuously adjusted to meet all requirements. Foreign bodies which are entrained in the water are removed automatically by the spring steel blades.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will next be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a jet regulator device for a nozzle;

Figure 2 is a side view, on enlarged scale of a part of the regulator device through which the water issues;

Figure l3 is a front view of the structure of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of part of the structure of Figure 3 on enlarged scale; and

Figure 5 is a side view of an adjustable element.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown a jet regulator device for a nozzle, the device being arranged on a jet forming pipe 1, which, for easier handling, is formed as a gun.

Two hand levers 8 and Y26 are arranged one behind the other for respectively controlling the spraying effect of the nozzle and for opening the latter. The `pipe 1 is closed at the end opposite the nozzle by a retaining `nut 2 in the bore 3 of which is disposed a nozzle needle 5, which is carried by a guide member `4 inside `the pipe 1. The end of the nozzle needle 5 is substantially pearshaped, and the nozzle needle 5 is actuated by the hand lever 8 which is movable abouta pin 7, through the agency of a rod 10 and a forked lever 11 which is articulatedon a pin 39 and acts upon a transverse pin 6 on the needle 5. When the -hand lever 8 is released, the nozzle needle 5 is urged towards theileft (Figure l) into a nozzle closing position by a leaf spring 9 which acts upon the hand lever 8. The nozzle head-is formed with a widened bore section 13 for the issuing jet.

In order to achieve a variable spray .,eifect, oscillatory spring steel blades -14 and `15 are` mounted at `the endof the nozzle, the blades 14 and '15 projecting through slots in the nozzle head from above and from below as far as the middle of the nozzle bore 13. Blades 14 and 15 are at vibratory blades of a resilient material such as steel, beryllium copper or the like which will permit vibration Without undergoing permanent deformation. For conventional ranges of water pressure and speed, these blades should have a thickness of from about .l to 2.0 millimeters. At thicknesses below about 1 mm., such blades may suffer permanent deformation from the force of the issuing water; whereas at thicknesses above 2 mm., suicient vibration may not result. Additionally, the blades should be parallel to the axis of outlet bore 13. However, at least one and preferably more of these blades should lie in a plane spaced from said axis so as not to intersect the axis. Blades thus spaced are subjected to the transverse vectors of uid forces issuing from the bore and thereby initiate vibrating action.

The blades 14 and |15 are mounted so as to be freely swingable by means of intermediate pieces 35 and 36 on carriers 18 and 19 which are guided in grooves 16 and 17, the ends of the carriers `18 and 19 being formed as circular section studs 20 and 21. The studs 20 and 21 are acted upon by control forks 22 of two bell-crank levers 24 and 25 which are pivotable about pins 27 and 28 respectively. The free arms of the two upper bellcrank levers 24 each carry a pin 31 or 32 on which forked ends of the free arms of the bell-crank levers 2.5 are carried. Hand lever or control 26 is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pin 30 of a handle 41, the lever 26 being extended in the form of two forked arms 33 and 34 which engage the pins 31 and 32. The hand lever 26 is adapted to be pivoted into a slot 42 in a handle 41 and is held by a spring 35 in a starting position, in which position the spring steel blades 14 and 15 penetrate to their fullest extent into the flow passage of the bore 13.

When the hand lever 26 is operated, the carriers 18 and 19 are displaced upwardly and downwardly respectively in the slots 16 and 17, so that the spring steel blades 14 and 15 are lifted wholly or partially out of the nozzle bore and thus out of the issuing water jet, depending upon how far the hand lever 26 is moved. The blades are displaced in cantilever fashion by transverse vectors of the pressure of the issuing water and due to resilience commence vibrating. The resulting vibration has proven to given a very fine atomization depending only on the controlled penetration of the blades into the issuing fluid.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations of the structure set forth above. These modifications and variations will not, however, depart materially from the scope ofthe invention as delined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A jet atomizer for atomizing a fluid issuing from the mouthofa nozzlecomprising supports pivotally mounted on said nozzle; flat, vibratory blades of resilient material mounted on said supports in parallel relation# ship and pivotal therewith into positions adjacent the mouth of the nozzle; and control means operatively associated with said supports and controlling the positions thereof relativer to said mouth; said blades being of subL stantially constant thickness and being responsive to the issuance of ther fluid for vibrating and thereby atomizing the same. y

2. An atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said blades is quadrilateral in shape and is held by one of its corners in theassociated support.

3. An atomizer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said supports comprise axles positioned transverse to the direction of issuance' of thejuid and arms pivotal on said axlesI and supporting said blades.

4. An atomizer asv claimed in claim-3, wherein said blades are all supported in parallel to one another.

y 5; An atomizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one axle supports a plurality of arms.

6. An atomizer as'clamed in claim` 5, wherein said control means includes means for simultaneously pivoting all of said arms, comprising a hand lever included in said control means for actuating the same.

7. Apparatus for atomizing a lfluid comprising a nozzle defining an axis and having an 0pening for the issuance of the fluid, a support operatively associated with the nozzle and displaceable with respect tosaid opening, at vibratory blades parallel to sai-d axis on the-support and displaceable by the support into a position adjacent the opening, said blades being of substantially constant thickness, and control means operatively associated with the support and blades to move the latter adjacent the opening, the iluid vibrating the blades and bein-g' atomized thereby.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim blades rare .l-ZJO mm. thick. p

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17,wherein at least one of said blades deines a plane spaced from said axis.

A7, wherein said References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 53,175 oyston Mar. 13, 1866 

